And so the painting, cutting and gluing began and my collage/photo montage came together in a very short time. "Pull up a chair for a plate of reality- cultural appropriation" is a 48 x 24" bird's eye view of a dinner table with six dinner plates, each depicting a form of cultural appropriation. 

Cookie Washington had a vision for this show and as curator, brought it all together. She herded sixty-six artists and coordinated a number of community dinner discussions in the gallery that were really the icing on the cake. Sitting with community members and fellow artists was inspiring and thought provoking. To be a small part of this community effort was humbling and empowering - all at the same time. 

Charleston City Paper wrote an article before the show opened. 
​https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/a-dialogue-in-black-and-white-is-a-call-for-conversation/Content?oid=18591715

I'm excited to be participating in the show Dialogue in Black at White during Piccolo Spoleto. Hank Herring and I shared the topic "cultural appropriation." The photos above are details from my submission. Here's the write up from the City Gallery website-
​
"Sixty artists—paired by the subject matter of their work—contemplate thirty themes that reflect the issues of our time. Inspired by words frequently seen in news headlines, these artists worked independently in a variety of media, responding to topics that range from disparity and community to climate change and homelessness. Each creative duo includes an artist of color and a white artist, their juxtaposed perspectives intending to facilitate conversation among diverse viewers.
“I believe A Dialogue in Black and White will get people talking and connecting, and I hope it will move us closer to mutual understanding,” says curator and local fiber artist Torreah “Cookie” Washington, who most recently curated the North Charleston Arts Festival’s 12th Annual African American Fiber Arts exhibition. To further inspire a meeting of minds, three ticketed-event dinners and a brunch—catered by Tim Morton of Mercantile & Mash—will take place in the gallery. Members of the public are invited to break bread together while engaging in discourse that connects, challenges and enlightens.
In conjunction with the 2018 Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the exhibition opens May 25 and remains on view daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through June 9. Conversational dinners are scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 24, May 31 and June 7, while brunch is slated for June 10 at 1 p.m. Event tickets can be purchased online for $50 each through City Paper Tickets.

Once upon a time, in a land West of the Ashley, there was a fabulous art show in a gallery called Fabulon. Annually, for three years Not Your Typical Love Story has battled commercialism, materialism, over consumption and narrow-minded views surrounding Valentine's Day. The news today is filled with injustice, hatefulness and intolerance. How can there be room for love? My paintings in the show cover same sex love, interracial love when it was banned in SC, and a family funeral. I'm glad to have been a part of this show. Who wants to be typical?

The show embraced love of outdoor spaces, all things nature, relationships, each other and simplicity. Maybe life isn't quite as devoid of love as it seems... The show is up until 3/1/2018 at which time Fabulon will take flight to digs unknown. Link to their website www.fabulonart.com/shows/

​"Posing Possibilities: Drawing Inspiration from and for Charleston's Parks celebrates the promise of public parks and the people who nurture those spaces in a collaboration between multiple artists and the Charleston Parks Conservancy, including artists Jack Alterman, Janie Ball, Karyn Healey, Alan Jackson and Hirona Matsuda, and Fletcher Williams III. The exhibition hopes to engage visitors and Lowcountry residents alike in thinking about the role of art in public spaces, as well as to inspire them with the beauty of local parks and landscapes." 
Friday, November 17 at 5 PM - 7 PM
 City Gallery
34 Prioleau Street, Unit A, Charleston, South Carolina 29401​

I'm thrilled to be a part of this effort. Charleston parks are verdant places for reflection, relaxation and recreation. Scattered throughout the greater Charleston area, these parks are a diversion from the hustle and bustle of daily life. I chose six parks on the peninsula, James and Johns Islands to depict in addition to two satellite views. Each location is unique and a joy to explore and discover.

The trees here are just amazing and make my heart sing. Their reach, texture and color are entrancing. I find them to be protective sentinels who have stood the test of time and I wish they could tell us what they’ve seen. We come and go, but they endure.

​These green spaces- large, small and in development, are crucial in this time of rapid growth and development in Charleston so I’m happy to be an advocate for the Charleston Parks Conservancy. Thank you for making these spaces a priority.   

Events in the news often motivate me to respond through art but recently, places that I've painted and celebrated are now a shell of what they once were, and face a long, slow recovery process thanks to Mother Nature and hurricane Irma while more storms are swirling into formation. I've also lived in Florida and understand the fragility of living in paradise. My paintings are all from Puerto Rico which was spared extensive damage from Irma, but the new storms brewing may not skirt the island next time. (UPDATE 10/7/17- Maria was not far behind and now 2 weeks after PR was hit the island is devastated and people are desperate. All these paintings are framed and any sales will be donated to the relief effort.)

​History is so important and learning lessons to avoid repeating terrible decisions of the past is hopefully what mankind does. Well a book about the life of Rollins Edwards is now a reality and for sale at Amazon. Read it, learn from it and spread the word.

I was so moved reading his story in Azalea magazine a few years ago that I painted his image. Twice. It was hard to reconcile what I was reading about him during WWll and how he looks today. That is the amazing part of his story. What was done to him by the US Army was disgraceful yet he didn't let that determine his life. What an amazing soul.

https://www.amazon.com/Burned-Conversations-Black-WWII-Veteran/dp/0692868208/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500588150&sr=8-1&keywords=black+ww2